Tsipras on two-day visit to Russia
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday called on European nations to end sanctions against Russia. Tsipras, who began a two-day visit to Russia to strengthen ties with the country, said that the sanctions could lead to a “new cold war". The European Union has imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia for its alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. “To get out of this crisis we need to leave behind this vicious cycle of sanctions,” said Tsipras at a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the meeting between Tsipras and Putin yielded no major new agreements between the two countries. Moscow was ready to offer loans to Greece but only if the latter would sell Russia specific assets in return, said a Russian official after the conference. Greece is scheduled to make a 458 million euro payment to the International Monetary Fund on Thursday.
First batch of medical aid arrives in Yemen
The first batch of medical aid to Yemen arrived in the southern city of Aden on Wednesday, said relief workers. A boat carrying 2.5 tonnes of medicines docked at Aden’s port, said medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres. The International Committee of the Red Cross added that a surgical team had also arrived in the city, which has a population of over one million. At least 643 people have been killed and more than 2,200 wounded in the conflict, said the World Health Organisation. Meanwhile, Shia Houthi rebels continued their battle to take the city from government forces, with residents reporting that several buildings had been demolished by rocket fire.
Islamic State releases more than 200 Yazidis in Iraq
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant released more than 200 members of the minority Yazidi community in Iraq on Wednesday, said officials. Most of those released included women, children, the elderly and ill people, said Rassol Omar, a commander of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces. He added that Arab tribal leaders had helped to co-ordinate the release of the hostages. The freed Yazidis were sent to Irbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. Thousands of members of the community fled into the mountains after the Islamic State began its invasions in the region. Yian Dakhil, the community’s only parliamentary representative, had said that hundreds of Yazidis have been killed by the militants in their campaign to establish an Islamic caliphate.
North Korea accuses Mexico of illegally detaining ship
North Korea on Wednesday accused Mexico of illegally detaining one of its ships and said that it would take the “necessary measures” to have it released. The Mu Du Bong, a 6,700-tonne freighter with a crew of 50 ran aground on a reef off Mexico’s Veracruz state in July last year. United Nations sanctions monitors said that the ship belonged to a blacklisted firm. However, the allegations were rejected by An Myong Hun, North Korea's deputy ambassador to the United Nations.
US police officer charged with murder of African-American man
A United States police officer on Wednesday was charged with the murder of an African-American man. On Saturday, the officer, Michael Slagger, shot and killed Walter Scott, who was stopped for a broken brake light on his vehicle. The shooting took place in the town of North Charleston in South Carolina. A video of the incident made by a witness showed Slager shooting Scott eight times in the back as he attempts to flee. Slager told other officers that Scott had snatched away his stun gun, said a police report. The town’s mayor, Keith Sumney, said that Slager had been dismissed from service. Sumney added that the city’s police force would soon be equipped with body cameras.
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Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday called on European nations to end sanctions against Russia. Tsipras, who began a two-day visit to Russia to strengthen ties with the country, said that the sanctions could lead to a “new cold war". The European Union has imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia for its alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. “To get out of this crisis we need to leave behind this vicious cycle of sanctions,” said Tsipras at a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the meeting between Tsipras and Putin yielded no major new agreements between the two countries. Moscow was ready to offer loans to Greece but only if the latter would sell Russia specific assets in return, said a Russian official after the conference. Greece is scheduled to make a 458 million euro payment to the International Monetary Fund on Thursday.
First batch of medical aid arrives in Yemen
The first batch of medical aid to Yemen arrived in the southern city of Aden on Wednesday, said relief workers. A boat carrying 2.5 tonnes of medicines docked at Aden’s port, said medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres. The International Committee of the Red Cross added that a surgical team had also arrived in the city, which has a population of over one million. At least 643 people have been killed and more than 2,200 wounded in the conflict, said the World Health Organisation. Meanwhile, Shia Houthi rebels continued their battle to take the city from government forces, with residents reporting that several buildings had been demolished by rocket fire.
Islamic State releases more than 200 Yazidis in Iraq
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant released more than 200 members of the minority Yazidi community in Iraq on Wednesday, said officials. Most of those released included women, children, the elderly and ill people, said Rassol Omar, a commander of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces. He added that Arab tribal leaders had helped to co-ordinate the release of the hostages. The freed Yazidis were sent to Irbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. Thousands of members of the community fled into the mountains after the Islamic State began its invasions in the region. Yian Dakhil, the community’s only parliamentary representative, had said that hundreds of Yazidis have been killed by the militants in their campaign to establish an Islamic caliphate.
North Korea accuses Mexico of illegally detaining ship
North Korea on Wednesday accused Mexico of illegally detaining one of its ships and said that it would take the “necessary measures” to have it released. The Mu Du Bong, a 6,700-tonne freighter with a crew of 50 ran aground on a reef off Mexico’s Veracruz state in July last year. United Nations sanctions monitors said that the ship belonged to a blacklisted firm. However, the allegations were rejected by An Myong Hun, North Korea's deputy ambassador to the United Nations.
US police officer charged with murder of African-American man
A United States police officer on Wednesday was charged with the murder of an African-American man. On Saturday, the officer, Michael Slagger, shot and killed Walter Scott, who was stopped for a broken brake light on his vehicle. The shooting took place in the town of North Charleston in South Carolina. A video of the incident made by a witness showed Slager shooting Scott eight times in the back as he attempts to flee. Slager told other officers that Scott had snatched away his stun gun, said a police report. The town’s mayor, Keith Sumney, said that Slager had been dismissed from service. Sumney added that the city’s police force would soon be equipped with body cameras.
